Just Add H2O
by RikkoTheClown
Summary: Rikki gets kicked out, and is forced to stay with Lewis for a few weeks. She is less than thrilled, until she finds herself attracted to the nerdy blonde. What will happen when Cleo finds out? And what about Zane? Set around the same time as mid-season 1, when Zane and Rikki were dating but not Cleo and Lewis.
1. Chapter 1

Cleo's POV

"Cleo! Dad says to come downstairs!" shouts my ever-so-annoying little sister, Kim, from below. She could have come upstairs and told me _nicely _and_ quietly, _but unfortunately, she has no knowledge of respect or courtesy whatsoever. As I walk down the carpeted stairs, a piercing ringing fills my ears. _Oh no, it's Lewis. _

"Hi Lewis."

"Hello Cleo," my best guy friend sings through the phone. He seems a bit too cheery, especially since I yelled at him just yesterday for demanding more sweat samples. "How are you on this fine morning?"

"I'm.. uh, fine." I can feel my dad's impatient glare like a beam coming from the couch. "Uh, Lewis, can I call you back? My dad needs to see me about something.." I bite my lip.

"Sure, of course Cleo," Lewis says before the call disconnects. I complete my descent down the stairs and approach my waiting father.

"Cleo," my dad begins, sounding irritated. "Why were you at Mako Island yesterday?" My tired eyes suddenly shoot completely open in a burst of awakening.

"M-Mako Island? How do you know I was there?"

"Your Uncle Jimmy told me he saw you there, along with an awkward blonde boy I'll assume was Lewis," he informed, putting air quotes around "awkward blonde boy." I try to think of a believable lie to get my dad off my case. No good ones come to me- my dad is not gullible. An angry "well?" interrupts my thoughts.

"We were just.. looking at the wildlife. We have a project coming up, for school, about, well, wildlife!" Somehow my made-up stories always involve a school project. It's a wonder how my dad hasn't questioned why I have so many.

He nods, but he still doesn't seem assured. Nonetheless, I skip off to the front door and open it, only to be greeted by a crying Rikki.


	2. Chapter 2

Rikki's POV

My suitcase is heavy, and it got even heavier once I started running. I can't control myself- the tears start coming in buckets. If anyone sees me like this.. No. They can't. I'd rather be torn apart by ravenous sharks. _Careful what you wish for. _Cleo's house is only a few blocks away. I decided that she was the only one I could let see me in this state. I've seen her cry plenty of times, and she's the most understanding person I know. Emma, on the other hand, might not be as consoling.

As I arrive on the Sertori's porch, a few thoughts run through my head. _Should I knock on the door, or call Cleo telling her to answer it? What if her dad answers, or even worse- her sister._ Fortunately, I don't have to knock or call or anything, because Cleo opens the door. Her face goes from bubbly to horrified as she sees my tear-covered face. I probably look like an absolute wreck.

"Rikki.. what happened?!" she exclaims. She quickly shuts the door behind her and leads me to her porch chairs. Sniffling, I sit down and look at my hands. One is red from carrying my suitcase. Red.. like my shirt.. and Cleo's shoes..

"Rikki," Cleo's voice pierces into my strange attention deficit-like thoughts.

"Right, right," I reply. I take a deep breath, barely ready to inform her about today's events. "Well, you see, my dad and I kind of got into a fight.. about money.. like my mo-" I quickly cut myself off, remembering that I hadn't told her about what happened with my mother. In fact, the only person I had told was Zane. Unfortunately he is at some business camp this week, so I can't confide in him. "I mean, uh, well anyway, so we got into this argument because he bought a new motorcycle, with money that was supposed to pay our rent. Actually, it could have paid our rent for three months." I stop, and look down.

"Go on," urges Cleo.

"Right. Well, he told me that he doesn't want to live here anymore anyway, and that he wants to move us out west." Cleo widens her eyes, looking genuinely worried. "Obviously, that's not an option, and I told him that, and he told me to pack my bags and get out. So, I did." I point to my suitcase.

"Where will you stay?" Cleo asks. I actually haven't thought of that at all. Cleo doesn't have a guest bedroom, and I'm sure her dad won't approve. Emma is too much of a neat-freak.. she'd _never _let me live in my sloppiness and disorganization. I'd become a sparkling, living, breathing bottle of cleaner in no time. And Zane's father hates me, so that's not an option. Other than that, the only other friend I have is Lewis. I can't imagine what Lewis's house must be like. It's probably similar to the inside of a science lab- test tubes everywhere, beakers bubbling with strange chemicals, complex equations written on dry erase boards..

"Rikki.."

"Oh!" I exclaim, re-entering reality. "Right, um.. I don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

"Hmm.. Well, my house is out of the question because, well, you know why." Cleo and I chuckle, recalling the time her father banned sleepovers because Lewis had snuck in at midnight. It was a full moon, and he felt the sudden need to protect us. Sometimes that boy treats us like we're six, I swear.

"And Emma's too organized to deal with my messy habits," I say, sighing. The both of us stare off into the distance for what seems to be hours before Cleo finally makes a sound.

"MM! I forgot to call back Lewis!" She quickly opens her cell phone and calls him. He answers on the first ring. _It is so obvious he's got a crush on her. I wonder if she realizes.._

"Hello, Lewis? … Yes, sorry, something came up. … Oh, no, it's not too bad, it's just that Rikki got, well, kicked out." She looks at me, silently asking if it was okay that she told him that. I shrug-nod. "Where she'll be staying? We haven't quite figured that out yet… No … no, there's no good either.. Your house?" I make a face, like I had just sucked on a lemon.

"No, no, out of the question," I whisper. Cleo starts to hand the phone to me. I physically protest, but it doesn't work because suddenly the phone is next to my ear. "Hi, Lewis."

"Hey, Rikki, I have a nice guest room, you could stay at my place for a little while, until you get things sorted out…" I sigh, loudly.

"Okay, fine. But only for a little while"

"Yay!" He shouts, puncturing my ear drum. "See you soon, mango moon." His rhyme is so unbelievably stupid that I laugh out loud.

"Okee dokee, Avocado.. throat..key." I hang up, slightly embarrassed by my reply. As I hand back Cleo's phone, I catch a glimpse of jealousy on her face, but it is instantly replaced by a warm smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Cleo's POV

_Jealous? No, I'm not jealous. Rikki doesn't even like Lewis. She just needs a place to stay. I'm sure she has some sort of relative she'll be able to stay with.. soon.._

Rikki gets up, her joints cracking simultaneously. I watch her as she grabs her suitcase, and heads off into the direction of Lewis's house.

"Bye Cleo!" She yells from a few meters away."And thank you!"

"You're welcome!" I shout weakly, my voice cracking slightly. I stare sadly at my front yard before making my way back inside. _I'm not jealous. I'm not._

Lewis's POV

_I can't believe Rikki is coming to stay with me! Now I have someone to talk about Cleo with! Maybe she can also tell me whether or not Cleo likes me….. _Suddenly, I hear a knock on the door. After I unlock and open it, Rikki stands there looking at the inside of my house, seeming confused.

Rikki's POV

Lewis's house is nothing like I imagined. It looks so… normal. A tan leather couch, a rug, a television, a table… where are all of the test tubes and boiling beakers? Maybe they're in his room. Or his basement. Stepping into someone's home for the first time is definitely not on my list of favorite things to do. I never know whether or not to take off my shoes, or what to do with my things. As if reading my thoughts, Lewis tells me to leave my shoes by the door and to leave my suitcase in the guest room down the hall.

"Lewis, are you a mind reader?" I ask, genuinely curious. I mean, hey, if my friends and I are mermaids, there is a definite possibility that mind readers exist. Especially when they're aspiring scientists like Lewis. Lewis squints his eyes at me and gives me a "what-in-the-world-are-you-talking-about" kind of look. I take this as a maybe. "What am I thinking?" _Lewis, you're a nerd. Lewis, you're a nerd. _

"Uhh, you're thinking of fish"

"Hm.. You're lying. I'm going to try again in an hour," I tell him. I'm surprised to hear him laugh out loud. The fact that I made him laugh gave me a tingling sensation in my chest that I can't really explain. I brushed it off, and headed to his kitchen to see what I could put in my grumbling stomach.

-4 hours later—

"So Lewis, uh.. where are your parents?" I say hesitantly. He never talks about them… what if they died, and he lives with his grandmother or something? Or maybe he lives by himself… but that doesn't seem likely.

"Well my dad doesn't live here, but my mom's at work. She works weird hours, I don't really know when she'll be home," he tells me casually and easily, as if he were talking about where he bought his shoes. It had always been so hard to tell people that my parents don't live together, and that my father can't keep a job for more than three weeks. I give Lewis a simple "oh" and a nod, and look at the over-sized clock in his kitchen. 2:18 pm. I secretly wish it were 2:18 _am, _so I can just send myself to bed and maybe wake up out of this nightmare. Things would be a whole lot better if I could just stay at Cleo's, or even Emma's. I should have stayed at Emma's. Then again, Lewis has a _much_ better selection of food. It's a wonder how the boy isn't morbidly obese by now.

I must have zoned out while looking at the clock, because Lewis is staring at me with a funny look on his face.

"Rikki… it's 2 in the afternoon, and the moon's barely at first quarter. If you're being affected by the full moon now-"

"No," I interject. "I just uh.. I'm going to call Zane." And so I do.

Lewis's POV

Rikki's only on the phone with Zane for ten minutes before she walks out of her room and looks at me with the most deflated expression I have ever seen on her.

"Zane's mad at me because I'm staying here. I should have never told him, what was I thinking…" I run over to her before she decides to break down and started crying. Fortunately, she never does, and she just keeps a solemn look resembling a balloon slowly losing its air. Of course, I'm upset for Rikki, but one thought that seems to overpower that one is the intense fear of what Zane may to do me the next time he sees me. I've seen what he's done to people who mess with him. I, for one, have been on the receiving end a few times myself. It's not the best thing in the world. But it's not like I can just leave Rikki out on the street because I'm scared of someone like Zane. Which I'm not in any way… at all… I think…


	4. Chapter 4

Emma's POV

"And you're letting her?!" I stare at Cleo in disbelief. All she talks about is Lewis, Lewis, Lewis. Who's on the phone? Lewis. Who are you hanging out with today? Lewis. What are you eating for lunch? Lewis. It's beyond obvious that she has a huge crush on him and now she's just letting Rikki stay at his house.

"Well, yeah, I mean, it's not like they'll _like _each other or anything. Lewis doesn't even like Rikki. And Rikki thinks Lewis is annoying. It would never happen." Cleo smiles confidently.

"But that's exactly what Rikki and Zane used to think of each other." Cleo freezes. Her smile fades completely, and the confidence that, just a few seconds ago, covered every inch of her body, peels off like skin after sunburn. I instantly regret speaking my thoughts.

"I'm sorry Cleo, I didn't mean- I mean, I'm sure-"

"No, no, it's fine, you're right," Cleo says. "If anything happens between them, I'll just have to deal with it. They're both my friends, I respect their actions, 100%."

But it seems more like -200% to me.

Cleo's POV

One of my favorite things about being able to swim at high speeds is the bubbles hitting against my face. Another is the silence I get, the serene silence, where I'm forced to really think things through. I wish the fish and sharks and other sea creatures magically knew my situation and could give me advice. They would be the best listeners, they'd have no one to tell, and no problems of their own to be preoccupied with. I sigh hopelessly as I make my way to the moon pool.

Rikki's POV

I look at the clock again… 10:11 pm. If it weren't for Lewis's constant yapping about his new invention to change the color of mermaid tails, I'd be sound asleep right now. Though, a red tail sounds incredible. As soon as he takes a slight pause in his discussion, I snatch up the opportunity to break free.

"Lewis, look, as much as I would LOVE to have a tail that doesn't look like a potato chip, I really need to be heading off to bed"

"But I was hoping we could play some board games, card games.. any games!" Has Lewis completely lost his mind? What makes him think I would want to play games with him? "What about truth or dare?"

"Lewis. I don't play games like that, okay? I'm not five-years-old. Now if you could kindly let me-"

"I triple dog dare you." Lewis stares at me with determination in his eyes. I can't believe he thinks he's intimidating. It's like a small, furry puppy threatening to kill you in your sleep. However, I suddenly have the urge to say yes to Lewis's offer. It must be something in the air, making me loopy. Possibly the large, stuffed teddy bear in the corner of the hallway.

"Fine, Lewis, I'll play ONE game of stupid truth or dare with you," I say. "But be prepared to have to endure the WORST dares of your entire life."

"Not if I always pick truth," Lewis says with a wink and a smile.

It turns out that one game turned into seven. The truths weren't too bad, nor were the dares. I think the best thing throughout the whole thing turned out to be when Lewis had to juggle actual hot potatoes, involving my powers, of course. I've never heard a guy yell so similarly to a girl. I laughed for a good twenty minutes after that. As quickly as it started, we are down to the last bit of the game. My turn to choose.

"Truth or dare?" Lewis asks for the 28th time tonight.

"Truth."

"Do you like me?"

The question shocks me. I try to speak, but nothing comes out.

"As a friend, of course," Lewis quickly adds. "I mean, you never liked me before. But now, it seems like we're actually…"

"Friends. Yeah," I sigh, relieved. "I didn't hate you. Sure I found you, well, annoying.. nerdy… clingy… slightly-"

"Okay, okay," Lewis interrupted. "I found you pretty annoying too. And stubborn, a bit hot tempered.. but that doesn't matter. What matters is that we're friends. Now, about Cleo..."

Except I didn't hear the last part because my lips were already on his.


	5. Chapter 5

Lewis's POV

_My ceiling looks nice in the dark. Very white. You know, for someone who lives by the beach, Rikki is very white.. No! Stop! Stop thinking about Rikki! The kiss meant nothing! You like Cleo!_

I roll over on my bed. Here, I am greeted with the view of the one wall that separates me from the girl I just shared a kiss with thirty minutes ago. I turn to the other side. A framed picture of Cleo and I, arms around each other, momentarily unaware of the spectacular dolphin show behind us. Somehow the picture was taken at just the right timing to have the dolphins form a heart, just to the right of us. I've never showed Cleo this photo. I may someday, but for now it's the only thing that makes me feel better when I'm down, and I don't want to share it.

To the left of that photo is a photograph of Cleo, Rikki, Emma and I. We're in the cone of the volcano, next to the moon pool. I'm holding Cleo, trying to throw her into the pool, and she has the biggest smile on her face. Rikki is next to us, in the middle of shouting "Throw her in!" Emma is just standing there, crossing her arms, looking up at the sky. I smile at the memory. The smile doesn't last long though, because suddenly my mind is forcing me to choose between Cleo and Rikki. I can't be with Cleo if I have feelings for Rikki, that wouldn't be fair. And I've put too much time and effort into trying to be with Cleo to just throw it all away to be with one of her best friends.

I'm in a tough situation. And I think the only thing I can do is talk to Rikki.

Rikki's POV

"Rikki? Are you awake?" Lewis calls quietly from outside the guest room door. I contemplate pretending to sleep, but I almost always start laughing after a few minutes.

"What, Lewis?" I try to sound harsh, like I don't want to talk. Honestly, I don't. Kissing him made me feel stupid. It was me being stupid, and impulsive, and letting my feelings take me over. I never planned on gaining sudden feelings for Lewis. I'm one of his almost-girlfriend's best friends! And I have a boyfriend of my own! _Oh no. Zane._

"Can we talk?" Lewis asks me, as if he's asking if I'll be the sponge he needs to clean his toilet with. After a few seconds of hesitation, I finally let him in. "Rikki.. about what happened tonight.."

"Look, Lewis. It was stupid, I know. It was just the moment, it seemed right, for a second, but I realize now that it wasn't. I have Zane, and you-" I stop myself; I don't think now's the time to mention Cleo. "I just have this habit of doing things impulsively. Not thinking before I do things. And I can assure you that-" And just like that, we were kissing again. However, I wasn't the one who started it.


	6. Chapter 6

Rikki's POV

Waking up this morning went smoothly. I hear the distant cry of a seagull, a

loud boat from afar. However, something isn't right. _I came to Lewis's house. _

_We talked about his parents... And then I woke up. Wait, that can't be _

_right._ I scratch my head. This kind of thing only happens on a full moon...

But yesterday wasn't a full moon. The last time I got affected by the full moon,

I supposedly kissed Zane, dehydrating him with my crazy high temperature. But I

don't remember a thing.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps.

"Rikki?" Lewis calls from outside my door, knocking lightly. I tried to

pretend that he had woken me up, so he feels bad.

"Mmm whaat," I reply.

"C-can I come in?" He sounds shaken up, as if he's about to tell me something

that will put him in heat-filled danger for sure. I tell him to come in. "Uh,

Rikki... We need to talk about some things." His tone gives me the chills. It

reminded me of a time in 7th grade, when my teacher told me that I may have to

stay back a year. Fortunately, I didn't, but it was still frightening

nonetheless.

"Y-yeah... What?" I manage.

"About us kissing last night..." I instantly straighten up from my usual

slouch. _Kissing?! _

"We kissed?!" I whisper-yell, just in case his mom is home. Lewis squints at

me, like he didn't hear me correctly.

"What do you mean?" He asks with frustration in his voice. "Are you in

denial? Pretending that it didn't happen? What's next, are you going to pretend

we're not friends, either?"

"Lewis," I say. "I don't remember anything from last night. Nothing. It was

daytime and I asked about your parents, and then woke up here."

"So you..." Lewis trails off. He has a face of disappointment, but he's not

disappointed. He's confused. He wouldn't be disappointed, would he? Wait a

minute, enough about his feelings, I kissed Lewis?!

"Rikki," he says to me suddenly. "What exactly was the LAST thing you did

before you, well, woke up?" I try to remember. All of the sudden, it comes to

me.

"2:18!" I shout, like I was about to win money on a game show. Lewis crinkled

his face in confusion.

"2:18?"

"The clock said 2:18! I looked at the clock, and then I woke up," I inform

him. Suddenly Lewis's face shows that the little switch in his mind switched

from "confusion" to "I-get-it-ness." He runs into the kitchen, shouting for me

to follow.

Lewis's POV

As soon as Rikki passed through the doorway of the guest room, I tried to

figure out the whole situation. It was 2:18pm, daytime, no full moon. And yet,

she looks at a clock, and she gets the effects of a full moon. A _clock._

It just doesn't make sense.

"Don't look at the clock just yet," I tell her. She nods, closing her eyes

and turning to the side. Suddenly I recall Rikki staring at the clock for a long

period of time yesterday. 30 seconds, at least. I thought she was just very deep

in thought.

"Can I look now?" she asks.

"Uhh.." I look at my watch. "In three.. Two.. One!" Rikki turns around and

looks at the clock. Instantly she is mesmerized. "Rikki?" I wave my hands in

front of her face. No movement whatsoever. After exactly 27 and a half seconds,

she turns to me.

"Lewis, you know you're boring, right? I'm going to the Juicenet." She starts

towards the door, and I block her from continuing. Unlike during the full moon,

she actually stops.

"I just have to do some tests, hold on a second." I look her in the eyes.

"Rikki, do you want to kiss me?" I never thought the words would come out of my

mouth. Then again, I also never thought I'd be best friends with three

half-mermaids. Life is full of surprises.

"Lewis, you're a great friend, but no, I would not like to kiss you." Her

response surprises me.

"Okay," I say. "How about the water? Do you want to go swimming?"

"I'd rather just go to the Juicenet," she tells me. Another surprising

response. Usually while under the spell of the full moon, all the girls want to

do is swim. I quickly remember that Rikki isn't under the spell of a full moon,

she's under the spell of a clock in my kitchen.

"Okay, Rikki, go ahead and go to the Juicenet if you'd like."

"But aren't you coming with me?" She asks, pouting. Rikki swiftly changes her

expression, and grins widely before she kisses me. All of the sudden, I see her

in new eyes. What was once a stubborn, prickly female is now a beautiful,

magical girl. Holding hands, we skip out the front door and to the Juicenet,

pajamas and bare feet and all.


	7. Chapter 7

Cleo's POV

Nervousness creeps over me as I sip my strawberry-mango juice at the Juicenet. _Where is Rikki? And Lewis? It's nearly 11, Lewis is usually here by now… _After about five minutes of listening to Emma ramble on about dumb kids bullying her brother, and waiting for Rikki and Lewis, they finally arrive. My face instantly perks up… until I see what they are doing.

Holding hands.

Smiling.

_Kissing._

Emma's POV

"So then I told one of the kids, Dylan I think his name was, to just stay away from him," I say to Cleo, who looks less than interested. She has a pale tint to her face that screams anxiety and jealousy, and I know exactly why. "But he-" All of the sudden, two people walk in, hand in hand, as happy as a newly-wed couple. I open my eyes wide in disbelief as I see who they are.

Instantly, I look at Cleo's face. Shock. Hurt. Rage. All swirling around her eyes. Suddenly, a group of middle-school bullies don't seem too important anymore.

Lewis's POV

I feel great, on top of the world! I'm holding hands with a glowing angel, the Juicenet is packed full of people that aren't as astonishingly beautiful as her, and the special today is Pear-Pineapple Palooza! Everything is perfect!

Scanning the tables for an empty one, I spot Rikki and I's good friend Emma, sitting with….._Cleo._

All of the sudden, all I see is stars. Blue and black and white stars, pushing against my eyelids. But only for a millisecond. _What is on my hand?_ I look at it. Another hand, attached to an arm, attached to a.._RIKKI?!_

"What are you doing?!" I snap at her, pulling away. She appears confused. I look over at Cleo and Emma, and they seem surprised too. _What's going on?_

I walk over to Cleo and Emma, trying to search my brain for some sort of answer. It's all blank. How did I even end up at the Juicenet? I specifically do not remember walking here. Did someone carry me? Did I pass out?

"Uhh, hi Lewis," Cleo says to me, but it sounds more like a question. "What's going on with you and Rikki."

"Nothing!" I say a little too quickly. She flinches, like I had just popped a giant balloon in her face. "Cleo, listen to me, I honestly have no clue what's going-"

_The clock._

"The clock?" Emma asks. _Oops._ I didn't realize I had said that aloud.

"You know what? You guys, come with me."

"But I-"

"_Now." _I'm not usually this commanding, but I desperately need to figure out what's going on. Walking out of the Juicenet, I grab Rikki's arm. She smiles.

"Oh Lewis," she says dreamily. "You're so-"

"Shut it," I demand, and not a single word is said for the rest of the journey to my house.

Rikki's POV

The whole world is in a fog, and all I can clearly see is Lewis. Even his rage/determination-filled face is adorable, and I can't help but smile blissfully. My smile vanishes as soon as I hear the voice of a female. Talking to _my _Lewis. In _HIS _house! _Why is there another girl in his house?!_ Before I can even think, I'm on top of her, ready to fight.

Cleo's POV

I have never in my life been in a physical fight before. Well, maybe with my sister, when I was younger, but _never _like this. Rikki's on top of me, throwing punches… in all the wrong places. She looks like she's fighting blindly, punching the air and the floor.

"Take THAT you Lewis-stealer!" _Lewis stealer? What is she talking about?_ Right before she gets ready for a punch that would certainly knock me out cold, Rikki is knocked out cold. Literally. Her entire body is frozen solid. I look at Emma.

"Sorry, I panicked!" I shake my head as Emma slaps her hand to her face face. "Now how are we going to unfreeze her?!"

"Well we could always-"

"Hush!" Lewis cuts me off. "All this shouting is giving me a headache. Now, Cleo, I want you to go into the kitchen and look at the clock." I tilt my head to the side. _…What? "_Yes, the clock," Lewis says. "Now go!"

I walk into the kitchen. It looks a bit different than it looked the last time I was here. A new table, a new refrigerator, and a new .. _clock._

Lewis's POV

"Cleo? Cleo, are you okay?" No response. I speedwalk to the kitchen. "Cle-" She is staring at the clock, exactly like Rikki was. "-o… dear."

"Hi Lewis," Cleo says in a flirty voice, as she turns to look at me. _Here we go again…_ She walks up to me, and combs my hair with her fingers. If she wasn't being hypnotized by a clock right now, this would be the fantastic!

"Lewis… do you like kissing?" She asks, giggling like a baby.

"Well," I clear my throat. "I, um-" Suddenly, our lips are together. _The stars again._ After our kiss, the only thing that exists in my world is Cleo Sertori, and her glowing, angelic face.


	8. Chapter 8

Rikki's POV

_Thanks a lot, Emma. I love being a human ice cube._ As my teeth chatter, I try to move my hand so I can heat myself back up. It moves slightly, causing a small portion of the frost on my hand to melt. _Oh, great. _My tail forms, breaking off the ice that covered my body. Emma rushes to my side.

"Sorry Rikki… I had to do this. You were attacking Cleo!"

"…I was?" I don't recall that at all. I only remember Emma freezing me, and me being frozen. Why I was attacking Cleo? Cleo and Lewis walk in, holding hands and grinning. _It's about time those two got together._

"Uhh, Lewis," Emma says. "Is this real, or is she…" Her voice trails off when she sees the glass-like look in Cleo's eyes. We see it at the same time. It's just like during the full moon. She's not herself- anyone with eyes could see that.

"I'm thirsty," Cleo says to Lewis, pouting.

"To the Juicenet!" He shouts enthusiastically.

"To the Juicenet!" Cleo echoes, and they skip off happily. _What in the world is going on?_

Zane's POV

_Ring! Ring!_ I search my pockets for my cell phone. Once I grasp it, I open it and put it to my ear.

"Hi, Rikki!"

"Zane, this is an emergency." Panic fills my body. "Come to Lewis's house, now!" _Lewis's house?_

When I arrive, the front door is open, and I open it to reveal two people inside- Rikki, and Emma. Rikki instantly runs up to me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me.

"Rikki, what's going on?"

"No time," she tells me. "Just walk." Soon we arrive in Lewis's kitchen. _Not bad for someone of middle-class. Still not as big as mine, though._ All of the sudden I hear the door open.

"Hello?" a voice calls. It sounds kind of like-

"Byron!" Emma says cheerfully. "You're here!"

"Yeah, what's up?" he says. Emma does the same thing to Byron as Rikki did to me- pulls him to the kitchen. For some reason, both of the girls are looking down.

"What's going on?" I ask. No one responds. Rikki and Emma simultaneously look up at a round clock, and they stare at it for a while. I try to turn Rikki around, but she doesn't budge. After a few more seconds, they both turn around. Before I know it, Emma comes up and starts kissing me. As hard as I try to push her away from me, she doesn't let up. _What's going on?! _

When she finally pulls away from me, I see Rikki and Byron out of the corner of my eye, kissing. Byron is trying to pull _her _away too, but it's like she magically acquired this super strength overnight. I don't think I've ever been so confused in my life.

When Rikki finally pulls away from him, she smiles at Byron. Emma turns my head by my chin and smiles at me. They simultaneously say "watch," and turn around. In their hands, they each hold a glass of water. Out of nowhere, they pour the water on top of their heads.

"No secrets," they say, and soon they're on the floor, half of their bodies in the form of a fish.


	9. Chapter 9

Byron's POV

I just don't understand. One minute, Emma's a human with legs. And the next, she's a human with a fish tail! I always thought Emma was so normal… so average. Out of all of the people I've ever known, I'd NEVER expect Emma to be anything but normal. And yet, here she is before me, ready to kill me with her creepy fish claws. Well, actually, fish don't have claws… do they? I don't really like fish, they're too weird and slimy. It's a shame, I really liked Emma. Oh well.

Zane's POV

I must be hallucinating. This can't be right. I mean… I have been dating this girl, thinking she's completely normal, and she's a mermaid. A real, live, mermaid, with scales and… all of the sudden, the memories start flooding back to me. The sinking ship, the sea creature… the orange tail. Just like the ones Rikki and Emma have right now. I start to feel lightheaded; I really did _not _expect this at _all. _But which one of them saved me? Are there anymore? Are all girls mermaids?!

Everything finally starts making sense (Well, sort of). Rikki never wanting to go with me on the Zodiac, flinching at the sight of water, looking at rainclouds like they were threatening to shoot down knives. I never ONCE saw water touch her body, until now. And I guess when water touches her, she turns into a mermaid. But it still doesn't make sense. How is this even possible?

"Zane, come here," Emma says flirtatiously. She bats her eyelashes and smiles, and she's glowing. _Huh? _This whole day is just weird. I get a desperate call from Rikki, but I run to her to discover that nothing is wrong. Then, her and Emma stare at some ugly clock, and then go totally psycho, and Emma kisses me and Rikki kisses Byron and then they turn into mermaids. And now, for some reason, I feel this strange attraction to Emma. She looks so lovely in this light… and the way she's glowing… it's mesmerizing. I can't fight these feelings, I'm suddenly in love with Emma Gilbert and I honestly have no idea why.

I look over at Byron. He's staring at Rikki as if she's a shiny jewel amongst rocks and coal. I would kill him for staring at my Rikki, if it weren't for the fact that Emma is staring at me with her big, blue eyes that are begging me to come over to her. I do. Again, we kiss, and when we pull away, all I see is her. Her beautiful, glowing, angelic figure. I feel like I'm forgetting about someone, but I quickly brush the thought away. Despite the fact that Emma is a mermaid and probably a lot heavier than usual, I pick her up and carry her bridal style, right out the door.

"The Juicenet, Zane, let's go to the Juicenet!" Emma says, and I agree. I need to show off our love to the world!

Byron's POV

Zane just left with Emma, and now it's just me and Rikki. Perfect! Now I can have her loveliness all to myself.

"Byron, come kiss me," Rikki commands, and I do exactly as she tells me. When we pull apart, the kitchen- no- the whole WORLD is gone, and all I see is glowing Rikki. "I want juice!" She sounds like a little kid, and I love it, and I love her. I try to pick her up… but she's too heavy. Oh no! I'm too weak for my darling Rikki! I must do as she says, however, so I drag her by her tail across the house and out the door. She seems completely fine with it, and smiles at me the whole way.


	10. Chapter 10

Lewis's POV

The Juicenet is pretty slow today, fortunately. Somehow when I snapped back into reality, I had some recollection of what happened today. Now, I just need to find out _why. _Cleo's out of the spell too, ever since she had some juice. Actually, exactly as she drank the juice, she stopped glowing and staring, and told me she didn't remember a thing. _Was it the juice? Is it the cure?_ It's too bizarre. First, a clock has the same effect on the girls as a full moon. Now, juice is having the same effect as the moon disappearing into the horizon. It just doesn't make sense.

All of the sudden, Zane, carrying Emma, strides into the Juicenet. The look on his face tells me that he's under the weird spell too. I rush to bring Emma a juice.

"Drink, Emma! Drink!" She drinks it, and immediately loses the glaze over her eyes. Zane drops her.

"Zane!" Emma shouts, her juice spilling on top of her. She runs to the back, just in time.

"Lewis, I have to tell you something," Zane tells me seriously. My heart speeds up. "Emma and Rikki-" Before he can say it, Byron bursts into the Juicenet carrying Rikki, shouting his immense love for her.

"Hold that thought," I say to Zane, and speed over to the counter to get Rikki her juice. As soon as she drinks it, she's back to normal again. _Well, at least they didn't show up as mermaids, that'd be quite a show. _Zane rushes up to me, grabs my arm, and makes me sit in the nearest booth.

"Rikki and Emma are mermaids," he whispers. _Oh, great. _Before I can offer and explaination, Rikki, accompanied by Cleo and Emma, pulls me out of the booth and out of the Juicenet.

"Lewis," Rikki hisses. "What is going on?!" The girls stare me down, as if _I _know why things are happening the way they are. It's not like they can blame me for having a magical clock. All of the sudden, my mind conjures up a way to figure everything out.

"Rikki, come with me," I say.

"Why her?" Cleo asks, with obvious envy.

"Because it happened to me first," Rikki says confidently. "Right, Lewis?" I look at her for a few seconds, unable to get the words out. She and I both know that that's not the reason at all.

"Right," I finally say, and Rikki and I head off to my house.

Rikki's POV

Once again, I'm entering Lewis's house. This time is different though. Someone's here.

"Hello mother," Lewis sings, but with insincerity in his voice. His mother walks in, and stops in her tracks. Clearly she doesn't see Lewis's friends too often.

"Oh, hi Lewis, you didn't tell me you were bringing someone over," she says, more to me than to Lewis.

"Right, well, we're not going to be here long," he says. "I need to ask you something." He motions for her to go to the kitchen, and I follow.

"What is it Lewis?" his mother asks, seeming irritated.

"Where did you get that clock?" he points to the clock. I almost look at it, but catch myself just in time.

"Oh, that old thing?" she laughs. "Some silly store in Brisbane." Her facial expression becomes serious. "Why?"

"What store, exactly?"

"I think it was called Moonshine," she informs us. _Moonshine._ Lewis and I glance at each other knowingly.

"Thanks mom, gotta go, bye!" Lewis says quickly, and scurries out the door. I speedwalk behind him. His mother mumbles something, but the door closes before we can figure out what she said. I realize that Lewis has something in his hand… keys.

"Lewis, do you even have your license?" I ask, mostly out of curiosity, not because it matters. I've driven illegally tons of times, it's such a rush, I love it. Lewis doesn't give me an answer. We walk to the side driveway, and get in the car. It's a convertible.

"Shh," he says. "My mom can't know I'm taking her car." I laugh.

"Wow Lewis, I didn't know you could be so rebellious!"

"I have my moments," he says, grinning. He starts the car, and we're off to Brisbane, our hair blowing in the cool sea winds.


End file.
